Cole
It was a bright, sunny Vegas winter’s day.
I walked behind Lili and the women as we headed up to the casino. Georgie had an arm hooked through Lili’s and Lili was laughing at something Lark had said. My gaze kept dropping to the way Lili’s jeans hugged her curvy ass.
She looked light and happy.
She didn’t look like she’d been attacked and drugged last night.
My chest swelled. I knew it wasn’t just the company of the women, or the loud, teasing filled breakfast we’d shared at my place. For some of it, Lili had looked a little surprised and shellshocked. Like she couldn’t quite believe people wanted to spend time with her.
I also knew that happy look on her face was partly thanks to what we’d done in my bed.
My hand curled into a fist by my side.
Having her hands and mouth on me…My gut clenched. It had been so fucking hot. But the best thing was having my hands and mouth on her.
I wanted more. She wanted more.
I wasn’t strong enough to stay away from her.
I’d learned that there wasn’t a single thing I wouldn’t give to Lili Armstrong.
“Sorry to have to dampen the mood,” Nash murmured. “I need Lili to take a look at more pictures.”
“She wants to help. She wants to save her friend.”
Nash lifted his chin.
“Does seem like a crime to take that pretty smile off her face,” Landon said from my other side. “She looks happy.” My friend cocked a brow. “Think that has something to do with you.”
I just grunted. I knew better than to keep arguing with these assholes.
“I’ve got guys surveilling Goodyear’s home. Apparently, he was especially tweaked this morning and called the head of his security firm in for a meeting. There was screaming.”
My lips curled. Finally, some good news.
Once we reached the Avernus, we headed down to the security office. When we settled in the conference room, Georgie got Lili a coffee.
“We got some surveillance images of a party Goodyear attended.” Nash sucked in a deep breath. “It wasn’t one he announced and advertised. This was a quiet, private event he held at one of his smaller transport warehouses.”
Nash pushed a bunch of photos across the table.
It was a group entering a large warehouse. Several women in the group were wearing short dresses, their hair and makeup pristine.
Lili gasped, color draining from her face.
“Lili.” I gripped the back of her neck.
She touched the photo, finger tracing a beautiful, very young blonde woman in the center. “That’s Ava-Jane.” She looked up. “Where is she?”
A muscle ticked in Nash’s jaw. “I don’t know, but she was alive at this party last night. The women were put into a van after the event and driven away.”
“They hurt her again,” Lili whispered brokenly.
I wanted to punch the wall.
“I promise you, Lili, we’re getting closer to finding her and the others,” Nash said. “We’ve narrowed down Goodyear’s properties and discarded a lot of them.”
She let out a shuddering breath. “Thank you.”
I squeezed gently the back of her neck, and she shot me a wobbly smile.
The door opened and a grim-faced Theo stood there, holding a tablet. “We have a problem.”
Nash frowned. “What?”
Theo held out the tablet…to me. I took it. It was showing live security feed from the Avernus lobby. I saw guests at the reception desk and bell hops bringing in luggage.
One man stood in the center of the lobby, huge arms crossed over his chest, scowling directly at the camera. Guests were circling around him, giving him a wide berth.
“Guy came in asking for you, Cole,” Theo rumbled.
Lili gasped again. “That’s—”
“Kamensky,” I growled. My mouth flattened. “I’ll deal with him. Keep Lili here.”
“No,” she said. “I won’t—”
I strode out, moving quickly. I had a few things I wanted to say to fucking Kamensky.
I took the elevator up to the lobby. As the doors opened. I flexed my fists. Moving quickly, I headed straight toward Kamensky.
He saw me. He turned, setting his big shoulders back and puffing up his chest. Like he thought he could intimidate me.
“Get out,” I clipped out.
He closed the distance between us. “You took what’s mine.” He gripped the front of my shirt.
I shoved him back. “She isn’t an object and she can’t be owned, you motherfucker. She’s a person with her own mind. And she sure as fuck doesn’t want you.”
His eyes flashed. “She was promised to me.”
“She decides,” I growled. “No one else. She said no to you. Numerous times.”
He looked away, his jaw working. “She is mine.”
No, she was mine. “Do I need to beat you to a pulp again to get it through your thick skull?”
Now I saw the anger flare in his eyes. Yeah, he didn’t like being reminded that I’d beaten him.
“I want—” His gaze moved over my shoulder.
I glanced back and saw Lili racing toward us, worry stamped all over her pretty face. Thankfully, Landon grabbed her and kept her back.
“You’ll never have her,” I said quietly. “She’s in my bed now.” I lowered my voice. “It was my cock she was sucking this morning. Me who got to watch her come while she moaned my name. It’ll be my come inside her when I have her again.”
Anton let out a low, inhuman sound.
Oh yeah, that gave me a lot of satisfaction. “You won’t ever touch her, look at her, or talk to her again. You got it?”
His face twisted. “No.”
“Be smart for once, Kamensky.” This time, I fisted my hand in his shirt. “I have no problem teaching you another lesson. For her, I’ll fight every damn asshole in the city and leave them bloody.”
“Cole,” Lili cried. “Please, he’s not worth it.”
Anton sucked in a harsh breath. “Fight me.”
I cocked my head.
“Fight me again,” he spat. “In the ring. You win, I walk away and she’ll never hear from me again.” He paused. “I win, I get Lili.”
“You won’t win. And there is no fucking way you’ll ever have her, but I’ll fight you. I look forward to knocking your teeth out.”
“Tonight,” he spat.
“Tonight.” I shoved him away and gave him one last look, then headed toward the others.
Lili broke free of Landon and ran to me.
When she threw herself at me, I caught her. She wrapped her legs around my waist. I turned enough to see Kamensky watching.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Fine.” I held her close and her vanilla scent wrapped around me.
“What did he want?”
“He wants to fight again.”
She froze. “To win me again?”
“That’s what he wants.” I cupped her cheek. “I’m going to fight him.”
Dismay filled her eyes.
“There is no way in hell, while I’m breathing, that man will touch you. But I want him out of your life for good, and this is my way to achieve that.”
“He won’t play fair.”
“Nor do I.” I tugged her closer and pressed my mouth to hers.
She made the sweetest sound, then her hands were in my hair, her body plastered to mine, and her tongue in my mouth.
For a second, she consumed me, but I did raise my gaze and saw Anton watching us, hatred burning in his eyes. Then he turned and stalked out of the Avernus.
Now, I had a fight to prep for.
For Lili, I’d fight the world. She was worth it.